[PGT] Vegas 1 : Flames 4 (Welcome Back, Noah!)

[stang]

One of the rare nights I was cheering for a Flames win. Watched a bit of the second period. Wolf looked very confident and good.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Noah Hanifin is an indifference maker.

[Goriders]

After the last 3 games I’ll be honest I was pretty worried about having to watch the Flames for the next two or three seasons. They looked horrible defensively. I was at the game last night and they played great. I was also worried about Wolf TBH. But last night changed my mind.

The Conman is going to have a lot of cap flexibility this summer to mold this roster into something that could be pretty good. I don’t think he has to blow it up. But I do think thet should move Markstrom for some more prospects and picks. Use the cap space to fill in a couple of gaps. In my mind a second or third line center and a 3rd/4th dman. Just to get the youngsters through a couple of seasons until the are really ready.

The key is Wolf and Vladar. If they can both play well I think they can be competitive without any more massive changes. Moving Markstrom might get you one of the gaps filled that I mentioned above.

Hopefully they can continue what they did last night down the stretch. If they can I’m onboard with whatever the conman decides to do. He has really outperformed anything I thought was possible. Bravo.

[Scooter]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Define difference maker and "taking over a game".
Sure a guy like Cale Makar can do that, but they are unicorns.
I'd be curious to see your list of dmen who "take over a game".

You've got a group of amazing offensvie dmen in the NHL: Hughes, Makar, Josi, Fox, Dahlin. I don't think anyone is pretending he's in a group like that.

To me he's in the group that would include the likes of Devon Toews, Gustav Forsling, Mortiz Seider, Morgan Rielly. Really strong two-way defenseman that can anchor your top pairing.
I don't disagree Bouwmeester is a good comparison. But Flames fans also underappreciated him because they were expecting a guy to be more way more offensive than he was ever going to be. But he was still an excellent dman.

The stats suggest he's a very good dman. Your counter arguments are framed in cliches.

If you watch many Leaf games I wouldn't call Rielly a strong 2 way d man. Very good offensively but very soft in his own end much like Brodie.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by stang

One of the rare nights I was cheering for a Flames win. Watched a bit of the second period. Wolf looked very confident and good.

You’ve already tasted the forbidden fruit, why not have the whole thing?

Toss those stained sweatpants in the barrel fire and come over to the side of the washed.

[All In Good Time]

Originally Posted by butterfly

I kind of wonder how the game would be different if the team with the most points who misses the playoffs got the highest lottery ranking. I think it would incentivize winning more, because you either make the playoffs or get a high pick.

I thought that the idea of collecting points for lottery rankings once you were eliminated from playoff contention was interesting

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

First class reference. Well done.

Was watching that a couple nights ago.

Who the hell names their dog Wolfy? ai you were lacking back then!

[stang]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

You’ve already tasted the forbidden fruit, why not have the whole thing?

Toss those stained sweatpants in the barrel fire and come over to the side of the washed.

Not a chance. I hate those kind of fans, although they usually switch to the better teams.

[Strange Brew]

I am OK with saying Hanifin is not a difference maker if you acknowledge that there are very few of those amongst defensemen. Especially when you consider that to mean someone who consistently makes dangerous offensive plays and has to be accounted for at all times.

But a defenseman that can reliably give you 25 minutes, play in all situations, and support both your top offensive players and your best checking line is certainly making a difference. IMO Hanifin could easily be top pairing on a Cup winning team but he definitely couldn't be that team's best player.

[Ashes]

Originally Posted by Locke

Lets not gloss over another real hero...

They call him....Mr. Goalman.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Love seeing Wolf get a W.

I don't know how anyone watches that and doesn't see a calm, cool and collected young goalie with all the tools in the world.

All he needs is more reps and starts to settle in and adjust. Hopefully he gets another game right away to keep it rolling.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by All In Good Time

I thought that the idea of collecting points for lottery rankings once you were eliminated from playoff contention was interesting

I like hearing about ideas like that but the problem with that is Chicago would already be collecting the points and the teams who barely miss might have 1-3 games to get any. Or 0 if you get eliminated in the last game of the season.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by butterfly

I like hearing about ideas like that but the problem with that is Chicago would already be collecting the points and the teams who barely miss might have 1-3 games to get any. Or 0 if you get eliminated in the last game of the season.

That’s a feature not a bug.

[Demaeon]

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Bingo

He is a difference maker.

Top pairing defenseman that can play on both special teams against the best players on the other side are difference makers.

Flames played well last night, but Hanifin was 5th on the Knights in xGF% and 1st in xGF60.

He was good last night.

And all that without sweating!

This is why people shouldn't get hung up with these advanced stats. Hanifin is not a difference maker.

He may have been good last night, but he doesn't make the team better.

[Wastedyouth]

Wolf is the most mobile Goalie we have had in net.... maybe ever. That kids lateral movement and agility are top notch.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

That’s a feature not a bug.

If so then it’s not all that different from the way it is now.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

This is why people shouldn't get hung up with these advanced stats. Hanifin is not a difference maker.

Cliche blanket statements are better than stats?
Counter data with data.

[activeStick]

Didn't get to watch, but happy to hear about Wolf's performance given his other games this season. Young goalies take time, so hopefully Huska and crew can get Wolf in for at least 1/3 of the remaining games this season, to give themselves a better sample of where his game is at against NHL shooters when he isn't playing once every 6-7 weeks or whatever it has been.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Cliche blanket statements are better than stats?
Counter data with data.

Vegas lost 4-1 to a Flames team that got steamrolled the 3 previous games. Once again Hanifin has ZERO points to help his team while munching 23 mins of TOI and finished -1. Difference maker!!